Merging musical heritage with popular music idioms, Katalena have always been fearless when pushing the boundaries of traditional music, taking it by the scruff of the neck and infusing it with a very individual interpretation. The band’s upcoming seventh album, to be debuted at Kino Šiška, draws on the heritage of Slovenian folk songs with a military theme, and its essence is co-shaped by the poetry of Ivo Brnčić put to music and by original songs that follow tradition in their content and form.
In the 16 years since the group’s formation, Katalena have ignited numerous acclaimed projects and collaborations, released six well-received albums, and regularly perform both at home and abroad. Three years after the childlike wonder of Enci benci Katalenci, they’re returning with their seventh album, Človek ni zver (“Man Is Not a Beast”), produced by Chris Eckman (The Walkabouts, Glitterbeat Records) and focused on a much more serious topic.
Človek ni zver (Man Is not a Beast) is an album about war as an absurdity, with Ivo Brnčič‘s title poetry line continuing: … that kills in secret. When our species goes off on its murderous sprees, it does so with fanfare and resounding speeches that often merely dress up the leaders’ interests in the shining colours of patriotism. However, as a rule, those who are actually led to battle by the political rhetoric, usually gain very little or even nothing from the whole endeavour.
A fleeting glimpse at the accompanying musical heritage reveals its typical and essential characteristic: these are songs that usually lack in heroic spirit, preferring to describe the anguish and fear of the young people involved. In their search, Katalena focus on the fact that these are testimonies of those who were torn from home against their will for reasons they didn’t understand and faced the threat of death, that these are stories of distress and pain. And as such, this legacy is essential, as even if we concede war the status of historical necessity, on an intimate existential level it shows itself to be, above all, nonsense.
Organisation: Kino Šiška.
